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Moderate-To-Late Preterm Infants Benefit From the Early Collaborative Intervention: Primary Outcomes of an RCT
Ulrika Birberg Thornberg1,2, Felix-Sebastian Koch2, Charlotte Sahlén Helmer3,4
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
Insights
The EArly Collaborative Intervention (EACI) showed a small positive effect on moderate-to-late preterm infants' communication skills by one year of age. This early intervention may support preterm infant development when other clinical supports are limited.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal development
- Early childhood intervention
- Parent-infant interaction
Background:
- Moderate-to-late preterm infants often require specialized support.
- Parent-infant interaction is crucial for early development.
- Limited clinical interventions exist for this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the longitudinal impact of the EArly Collaborative Intervention (EACI) on preterm infants.
- To assess developmental outcomes including cognition, communication, and motor skills.
- To determine the effectiveness of a three-session early intervention program.
Main Methods:
- Randomised controlled blinded study in Swedish neonatal intensive care units.
- 87 infants (37 standard care, 50 standard care with EACI) in intention-to-treat analysis.
- Bayley-III used to measure cognition, communication, and motor development at one-year follow-up.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant positive effect on receptive communication was observed (p=0.035).
- No significant effects were found on cognition, expressive communication, or motor development.
- No baseline differences in gestational age, birth weight, or parental factors between groups.
Conclusions:
- The EACI demonstrates a small positive effect on preterm infants' communication ability.
- Results are encouraging despite a high attrition rate, given the lack of interventions.
- Further research is warranted to optimize interventions for preterm infants and their families.
Aim:
This study aimed to determine the longitudinal impact of the EArly Collaborative Intervention (EACI), a three-session early intervention designed to enhance parent-infant interaction, on the developmental outcomes of preterm infants born between 30 + 0 and 35 + 6 weeks of gestation.
Methods:
This randomised controlled blinded study recruited families in two neonatal intensive care units in Sweden. In this one-year follow-up, 87 infants (standard care = 37, standard care with EACI = 50) were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The primary study outcomes were cognition, receptive and expressive communication, and fine and gross motor development measured with the Bayley-III.
Results:
At one year of age (mean age 13.1 months SD = 0.64), there was a statistically significant effect in the intention-to-treat analysis on receptive communication F(1, 85) = 4.61, p = 0.035, η2 = 0.051. No statistically significant effects were found on the other Bayley-III outcome measures. There were no significant differences between the groups regarding gestational age, birth weight, gender, parents' education, or age at assessment.
Conclusion:
This new intervention indicates a small positive effect on moderate-to-late preterm infants' communication ability at one year of age. Though the attrition rate was relatively large, results are encouraging since clinical interventions supporting moderate-to-late preterm infants and parents are lacking.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02034617.
